Knot tying mechanism



Feb. 11, 1969 B. L. GOINS ETAL KNOT TYING MECHANI SM :iled June 15, 1967 INVENTORSZ BUREN L. Gem/S HAZEL W. LEWIS w LmzavD. DELLlHGER ATTORN Feb. 11, 1969 B, L ems ETAL 3,427,057

' KNOT TYING MECHANISM Filed June 13 1967 Sheet 2 of 4 84 J05 1041. W m m 440 87 78 E J3 m4 '75 S6 250. 14 4 43 L. 5-1 322:: W. 55w:

w LARRY D. DELLIHGE a M /wt rgwm g ATTOR e7 69 44s G8 INVENTORSZ Feb. 11, 1969 B. L. soms ETAL KNOT TYING MECHANISM Sheet '1 of 4 -led June 13, 1967 A'ITO Buzz! L.. GozNS HA'LEL W LEWIS Feb. 11, 1969 5 30mg ETAL 3,427,057

Know TYING MECHANISM Filed June 13, 1967 Sheet 4 of 4 INVENTORS BUREN L. Go: as

HAzeL W-LEwns v LARRY D.Dsw-aek BY 76 4 1 @vgfig United States Patent 3,427,057 KNOT TYING MECHANISM Buren L. Goins and Hazel W. Lewis, Gastonia, and Larry D. Dellinger, Mount Holly, N.C., assignors to A. B. Carter Incorporated, Gastonia, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed June 13, 1967, Ser. No. 645,783 US. Cl. 289-33 Int. Cl. D03j 1/16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a knotter mechanism and more particularly to a knot tier adapted to unite a pair of strands with a modified weavers knot. Although capable of use under many conditions, the invention has found favorable acceptance in combination with automatic winders in textile manufacturing plants where paired strands are required to be united in rapid succession with relatively small knots, the small size of the latter facilitating further use of the strands and improving the quality of the fabric made therefrom. Examples of the use of knot tiers in combination with automatic Winders are disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,146,713 and 2,177,680.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved knot tier for use in combination with automatic winders and capable of intermittently uniting successive pairs of strands with modified weavers knots.

It is another object of invention to provide an improved knot tier for use with automatic strand positioning mecha- IllSIIl.

It is another object of invention to provide a knot tier having improved means for initially clamping and positioning a pair of strands relative to the tying bill preparatory to being united by the above-mentioned weavers knot.

It is another object of invention to provide a knot tier of the class described having a strand crossing mechanism so constructed and arranged relative to the tying bill and to said clamping and positioning mechanism that excess stretch and tension will be eliminated in the strand portions during the crossing and tying thereof.

It is a further object of invention to simplify the construction of a knotter and to render it more efiicient under various operating conditions, thereby reducing the -manu facturing costs incident to further processing of the united strands.

Some of the objects of invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view through adjacent portions of the rotary yarn supply and winding units of an automatic winder embodying our improved knot tying mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional plan view taken along line 22 in FIGURE 1, showing the knot tying mechanism installed on the yarn supply unit;

3,427,057 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 FIGURE 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the tying mechanism and taken along line 33 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view taken along line 44 in FIGURE 3, showing the initial positions of the parts of the tying mechanism relative to the strands to be united;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional detail view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4, showing the tying bill assembly construction;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view taken along line 6-6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional detail view taken along line 7-7 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional detail view taken along line 88 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIGURE 4, showing the back strand-positioning plate, the main drive shaft, and the parts on the drive shaft for actuating the strand crossing, knot tying, strand severing, and knot stripping elements;

FIGURE 10 is a vertical detail view taken along line 10--10 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 4 and 11 through 14 show successive positions of the strands and associated knotter elements during a knot tying operation;

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged detail view showing the positions of the strands and associated knotter elements after the tying bill has rotated approximately degrees from the position shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 11A is a sectional detail view taken along line 11A11A in FIGURES 2, 3 and 11, but showing the strands to be united in clamped positions;

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, but after the tying bill has rotated approximately degrees from its initial position;

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, but after the tying bill has rotated approximately 270 degrees from its initial position, and

FIGURE 14 shows the positions of the bill, strands, knot, stationary cutter, and knot stripper after the bill has made approximately a complete revolution from its initial position.

The present invention may be embodied in a conventional automatic Winder having either a plurality of travelling winding units 10 operatively associated with a stationary bobbin supply magazine 11 such as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 or, conversely, with similar automatic winders having stationary winding units and a travelling magazine. Moreover, certain features of the invention may be employed for uniting strands independently of winding or similar machines.

Automatic winder construction The magazine 11 comprises a centrally disposed suction tube 14, the upper end of which has one end of an inverted U-shaped tube 15 fitting therein. The outer wall surface of the tube 15 is held in spaced relation to the inner wall surface of tube 14 by means of a spacer 16 (FIGURE 2), thereby providing an annular slot or opening 17 into which are deposited the radially disposed ends of strands 13 emanating from the several bobbins 12 in magazine 11. The bobbins 12 are removably housed Within bobbin holders 12c of the magazine 12.

The other end of U-shaped tube 15 is provided with an end-finding nozzle 21 disposed adjacent an unwinding roll 22 of the winder unit 10, said tube and nozzle having a slot 23 therein extending from a point adjacent the roll to the tube 14 of the bobbin supply magazine 11. Each travelling winding unit 10 also carries a spindle 12a on which a bobbin 12b is removably mounted and from which a strand 25 of yarn travels upwardly in a wellknown manner through tensioning device 27 and guide 28, and then onto package 29. Should the strand 25 break or become exhausted, suitable mechanism (not shown) operates to doff the winding unit bobbin 12b from its spindle 12a and to lower the yarn package 29 into peripheral engagement with unwinding roll 22, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1. Roll 22 will unwind the end of strand 25 from package 29 and expose it to the suction at nozzle 21, at which time, the strand end will be drawn through slot 23 and to a substantially horizontal position across knotter as shown in FIGURE 4.

Concurrently with the positioning of strand 25 in the knotter 20, the bobbin supply magazine 11 is rotated a partial revolution by a vertical drive shaft 34 to cause one of the strands 13 from a magazine bobbin 12 to ride over guide plate 24 (FIGURE 2) and into the knotter alongside the strand 25 (FIGURE 4). Strands 13 and 25 are then united, as described below, after which the winding unit bobbin 12b corresponding to the united strand 13 is transferred by suitable apparatus (not shown) from the bobbin supply magazine 11, through trap door 31a, and to the empty spindle 12a of the winder unit thereby replacing the bobbin having the broken strand end portion.

Bobbin supply magazine 11 comprises a circular plate 30 rotatably mounted about tube 14, the plate having peripherally disposed bobbin holders 31 and the trap door 31a at the holder bottoms. The plate 30 rests upon a disk 32 having integral therewith an internal gear 32a which meshes with pinion 33 on vertically disposed drive shaft 34.

The knotter has a main drive shaft 40, which in turn is driven by a motor 41 through a series of intermeshing gears 42, 43, 44 and 45 (FIGURES l through 4 and 9), the knotter and motor being mounted upon suction tube 14 by means of bracket 46. In FIGURES 3 and 9, it will be observed that the gear 45 is rotatably mounted on drive shaft 40 with one face thereof in contact With the face of friction disk 47, said disk being secured to the face of a metallic disk 48 mounted on shaft 40. A compression spring 49 is confined upon shaft 40 by a nut 50 to normally urge the proximate faces of gear 45 and disk 47 together to form a slip clutch.

The metallic disk 48 is provided with a peripheral notch 53 in which the lower end of a latch bar 54 removably fits to lock cam shaft 40 against rotation (FIGURE 1). This bar has its upper end pivotally secured as at 55 to the intermediate portion of a strand clamping lever or arm 56 pivoted as at 57 to the knotter frame. Thus the motor 41 and gears 42 through 45 may operate continuously while the knotter operates intermittently.

As bobbin supply magazine 11 rotates a partial revolution to position the end 13 from a replenishing bobbin in the knotter 20 (FIGURE 2), the lever 56 and latch bar 54 are raised by lifter rod 60, said rod having its lower end attached to pivoted lever 61 above the plate 30 (FIG- URE 2). The free end of lever 61 normally rests in the path of a series of projections 62 (FIGURE 1) integral with plate 30; and as the latter rotates, the projections elevate the lifter rod intermittently to release latch bar from disk notch 53 and permit the cam shaft to rotate.

The structure described thus far is conventional, but when combined with the elements of the knotter 20, it operates in a novel manner to unite strands 13 and by the modified weavers knot as described in detail below.

Strand guiding and positioning mechanism The framework of knotter 20 comprises a base plate 64 having extending upwardly therefrom spaced side walls 65 and 66 and spaced front and back walls 67 and 68 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 9). Back wall 68 has integral with its upper portion a horizontally disposed cover plate 69 which is spaced above the base plate 64 to form a cubical compartment 70 through which the cam shaft 40 extends.

Integral with the upper portion of front wall 67 is an extension 72 provided with an inclined edge 73 and adjacent horizontal steps 74 and 75 forming a downward continuation of said edge (FIGURES 3 and 10) for guiding and positioning the end portions of strands 13 and 25 while entering the knotter as previously described, and during the strand uniting operations which follow as described hereinafter. A similar extension 77 is mounted upon the cover plate 69 (FIGURES 4 and 9) and is provided with slots 78 and 79 which also guide the end portions of strands 13 and 25.

A third guiding and positioning means for strand end portions 13 and 25 comprises a hold-down plate 81, which plate cooperates with steps 74 and 75 and slots 78 and 79. Plate 81 is positioned in spaced parallel relation to the front plate extension 72 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 11A) and also in spaced parallel relation to the back extension plate 77, said plate 81 having oppositely disposed strand guiding edges 82 and 83 extending downwardly and terminating at notches 84 and 85 respectively. In order to support plate 81 in the position described, an inverted L-shaped bolt 86 has its vertical leg secured to cover plate 69 and its horizontal leg to the upper edge of the plate 81.

A conventional strand knotting, clamping and cutting assembly 87 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 5-8) is rotatably mounted upon a spindle 88, which spindle is integral with a nut 89 threadably secured in the side wall 65. This assembly comprises a fixed bill 90 to which is pivoted as at 91 a movable blade 92. One face of blade 92 cooperates with a stationary blade 93 to sever the end portion of strand 25 after a knot 94 has been formed (FIGURES 12 through 14), and the other face cooperates with the bill 90 to clamp the severed strand end. Movable blade 92 has arms 95 and 96 integral therewith, the ends of which engage the cam surfaces of bore 97 of cam plate 98 to effect the clamping and severance of the strand at the proper time. Assembly 87 is actuated from the cam shaft 40 through serially connected gears 131, 132 and 133 (FIGURES 5 and 9).

The initial positions of paired strands 13 and 25 are on opposite sides of the knotter bill 90 and with one strand at a higher elevation than the other. It will be observed from FIGURES 3, 4, 9, 10 and 14 that strand 25 is supported at the higher elevation in the slot 78 and on the horizontal step 74, at which time, the strand 13 is sup ported at the lower elevation in slot 79 and on the step 75.

Strand clamping mechanism Immediately after strands 13 and 25 have been initially positioned in the knotter as shown in FIGURE 4, the arm 56 and latch bar 54 are elevated as previously described (FIGURE 1) to simultaneously initiate the rotation of cam shaft 40 and to yieldingly clamp said strands as at 13a and 25a against a clamp plate 102 (FIGURES 11 and 11A). In this clamped position, the end segment of each strand will be tensioned across the knotter by the suction of the annular slot 17 (FIGURE 2).

The clamp plate 102 is rockably supported in spaced relation to the hold-down plate 81 by means of studs 103 (FIGURES 4 and 11A) projecting laterally through a spacer plate 104 and into said plate 81. The lower end of a leaf spring 105 yieldingly presses clamp plate 102 and spacer plate 104 toward hold-down plate 81, said spring having its upper end fixedly secured to the horizontal leg of L-shaped bolt 86. When the strands are clamped between members 56 and 102, the lower end of the memher 102 is biased in a counter-clockwise manner (FIG- URE 11A) about studs 103 and against the pressure of spring 105 as a result of upward movement of pivotally mounted lever member 56.

It is important to note that the clamping points 13a and 25a are disposed below and laterally from the strand supporting steps 74 and 75 on front knotter plate 67 (FIG- URE 11A). By this arrangement, the clamped suctiontensioned strands 13 and 25 will be held down in frictional contact with the steps and with the notches 78 and 79 in the back plate extension 77. In this initially tensioned position, however, the strands may be moved laterally to the crossed position as shown in FIGURE 11.

Since the strand friction between the tying bill and the knot 94 progressively increases as the bill rotates, the length of the strand segments between the bill and points 13a and 25a soon becomes fixed; and inasmuch as the completion of the knot takes part of the length of these segments, the angle at which the segments are crossed must be sufficiently small as to prevent excess strand tension and stretching. Obviously, excess stretch and tension will break the strand segments unless slippage is permitted at points 13a and 25a.

By increasing the strand length between the tying bill and the clamp, and by braking the intermediate portion of this length against lateral movement, the crossing angle may be reduced and the position of the length stabilized at a point adjacent the bill.

More specifically, the lateral braking action on the tensioned strands is effected by forming obtuse angles therein respectively at the steps 74 and 75 (FIGURE 4), one leg of each angle extending substantially horizontally and rearwardly across the tying bill and the other leg of each angle extending downwardly from its step to the clamping plate 102. As the crossing arm 110 subsequently moves to the left and into engagement with strand 25, the notch 110a will support the strand in elevated position above step 75 after sliding off step 74 (FIGURES and 11). Thus, the apex of the obtuse angle will be transferred from step 74 to notch 110a during the lefthand movement of crosser arm 110. Concurrently with the above movement to the left of arm 110, the notch 114a in arm 114 will slide strand 13 to the right along step 75 and below strand until the second notch 11% in arm 110 limits the movement; hence, the obtuse angle in strand 13 will have its apex positioned on step 75 during the strand lateral movement.

Strand crossing and shearing mechanisms The initially positioned paired strands 13 and 25 (FIG- URE 4) are crossed as the knotter bill 90 begins rotation to form the knot 94 (FIGURE 11). In crossed position, a V-shaped bend 111 is formed in strand 25 with its vertex on one side of the bill; and an oppositely disposed bend 112 is simultaneously formed in the strand with its vertex at point 110a of the crosser arm. Similarly, a V-shaped bend 116 is formed in strand 13 with its vertex on the opposite side of the bill from the bend 111, the bends 111 and 116 crossing each other as at 119 and 120. The strand 13 also has V-shaped bend 117 therein facing the bend 112, and V-shaped bend 11-8 facing a straight segment of strand 25. It will be observed in FIGURE 11 that the positioning slot 78 in plate 77 is so located that crossings 120 and 121 can be effected properly with reference to the bill 90 without the use of a right back crosser arm.

A suitable strand shearing unit 135 is located adjacent the vertex of V-shaped bend 118 (FIGURES 9 and 11), said unit having a fixed jaw 136 and a movable jaw 137 pivotally secured to the latter as at 138. The unit is actuated from cam shaft by means of a downwardly extending arm 139 integral with the jaw 137 and engageable with cam surfaces 140 and 141 of spaced cams 125 and 142 on the cam shaft.

Jaws 136 and 137 are in opened position as shown in FIGURE 9 to receive strand 13 as the crossing of strands 13 and 25 is completed (FIGURE 11). The strand 13 is subsequently severed by the jaws as the knot 94 is completedand stripped (FIGURE 14).

As the bill 90 rotates into the space enclosed by bends 112 and 117, an increasing amount of strand length between the bill and the clamping points 13a and 25a is utilized to make the knot, at which time, the additional length used increases the strand tension. By locating the clamping mechanism so as to increase the length between the bill and clamp, the increased tension will be distributed throughout a greater strand length, thereby permitting more secure clamping at points 13a and 25a.

The crosser arm 110 is actuated from cam shaft 40,

said arm being pivoted as at 123 to front plate 67 (FIG- URES 3 and 9) which, in turn, is provided with a cam roller 124 fitting in closed grooved cam 125 fixed on the cam shaft. Likewise, crosser arms 114 and 115 are actuated from cam shaft 40, the arms being integral with the upper end of a vertically disposed lever 126 pivoted as at 127 to the back plate 68. A roller 128 on lever 126- fits in closed grooved cam 129 fixed on the cam shaft.

Knot stripping mechanism During the last quarter of the first revolution of the tying bill, the knotter assembly 87 shears and clamps strand 25 adjacent the knot '94, and at the same time, strand 13 is sheared by shearing mechanism as previously described. Also during these shearing operations, a stripper arm 144 rises and engages strand 13 at a point adjacent the bill to tighten knot 94 while being stripped, thus uniting the ends of strands 13 and 25 so that the corresponding bobbin 12 can be released through the trap door 31a of magazine 11 and placed upon the empty spindle 12a of winder unit 10 (FIGURE 1).

Stripper arm 144 is actuated from cam shaft 40, said arm being pivoted as at 145 to front plate 67 (FIGURE 3). Integral with the stripper arm is a depending leg 146 to which is pivoted as 147 the upper end of an inclined bar 148. The lower end of bar 148 has a roller 149 thereon engageable with side cam 150 fixed on the cam shaft. A spring 151 yieldingly urges roller 149 against cam 150 to hold the stripper arm 144 in lowered position.

Two revolutions of the knotter bill 90 occur for each tying cycle and one revolution of cam shaft 40. During the second revolution of the bill, the various elements are returned to normal positions.

What we claim as new, and desire to obtain Letters Patent of the United States on, is set forth in the following claims:

1. In a knot tying mechanism having a rotary typing bill for uniting a pair of strands, means for positioning said pair for engagement by said bill, means disposed on one side of said bill for clamping said pair, means on the opposite side of the bill for tensioning the clamped pair, means between said bill and clamping means for supporting said pair for lateral sliding movement, and means including said last-named means for forming an obtuse angle in the laterally slidable strand portions, whereby the strand tension will hold said slidable portions in frictional engagement with said supporting means.

2. A knot tying mechanism as defined in claim 1 and further comprising means respectively engageable with said laterally slidable strand portions for crossing the latter on opposite sides of said bill and between said clamp and supporting means.

3. A knot tying means as defined in claim 1 wherein said strand supporting means including means for supporting the respective strands of the pair for sliding movement in substantially parallel planes.

4. A knot tying mechanism as defined in claim 3 and further comprising means respectively engageable with said laterally slidable strand portions for crossing the latter on opposite sides of said 'bill and between said clamp and supporting means.

5. In a knot tying mechanism having a rotary bill for uniting strands, means for separately supporting a pair of segments of said strands in substantially horizontal positions for engagement by said bill, means disposed below and spaced laterally from said supporting means for clamping a second pair of strand segments extending respectively from said first segments, and means for tensioning said strand segments to frictionally hold the latter in frictional engagement with said supporting means through the vertically acting stress components of the second strand segments.

6. A knot tying mechanism as defined in claim 5 and further comprising means permitting lateral sliding movement of said strand segments on said supporting means,

and strand crossing means engageable with one of said pair and adjacent the supporting means.

7. A knot tying mechanism as defined in claim 5 and further comprising means for permitting lateral sliding movement of said strand segments on said supporting means, and means for crossing said first pair of segments on opposite sides of said bill and for simultaneously crossing said second pair of segments between said supporting and said clamping means.

8. A knot tying mechanism as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for permitting lateral strand sliding movement further includes means for supporting one strand segment and its extension at a higher elevation than the other strand segment and its extension.

9. In a knot tying mechanism having a rotary tying bill, means for supporting a pair of strand segments separately in substantially horizontal positions for engagement by said bill, and means for clamping extensions of the respective segments at obtuse angles with the horizontal portions thereof, the vertices of said angles 'being located at said supporting means, and means for tensioning said segments and extensions to produce pressure at said vertices between the segments and the supporting means.

10. A knot tying mechanism as defined in claim 9 and further comprising means for sliding said segments laterally on said support, and wherein said clamping means is disposed laterally of and below said supporting means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,904,704 4/1933 Wells et al 2893 X 2,678,229 5/1954 Shortland 2893 3,017,211 1/1962 Trost 2893 LOUIS K. RIMRODT, Primary Examiner. 

